SANTIAGO – In a major move for the American recycling and clean energy sectors, Germany’s Aurubis is all set to ramp up operations at its $800 million copper recycling facility in Richmond, USA, this year. The announcement was made by Aurubis CEO Toralf Haag during an interview at the CESCO and CRU copper conferences.
The new facility will process 180,000 metric tons of complex copper scrap annually and produce around 70,000 tons of refined copper, essential for industries like construction, electric vehicles, and power infrastructure.
Filling a Market Gap in North America
“There is no large copper recycling facility in North America currently,” Haag noted. “Most copper scrap is exported.” In fact, in 2024, the U.S. exported nearly 960,000 tons of copper scrap—with 41% going to China, followed by Canada (11%) and Thailand (10%), according to Trade Data Monitor.
Haag believes the timing couldn’t be better. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is currently investigating the possibility of imposing tariffs on copper imports, including scrap. The goal? To promote domestic copper production and reduce export dependency.
Richmond Facility: A Strategic Investment
The Richmond plant is Aurubis’ only operation in the U.S., but it may not be the last. Haag says the company could invest further in American recycling capacity in the future.
“For now, we are focusing on delivering on the Richmond project,” he said.
Scrap Sources and Future Demand
Aurubis is eyeing diverse sources of copper scrap including:
- The automotive industry
- Telecom cables
- And soon, data centers
“Copper in data centers lasts only three to five years because technology evolves so quickly,” Haag explained. With the rise of AI and cloud computing, copper demand from data centers is projected to surge in coming years.
